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Finding a Place to Live After You've Graduated

11 Jul 2017

Finding a Place to Live After You've Graduated
If you are studying away from home at University, then you will have the freedom of renting accommodation with your fellow students or flatmates.

But when it comes to graduating, you will all be going back home to different parts of the country so you won’t be able to rent together anymore. This means you will be trying to find a place to live after you’ve graduated and wondering how you will manage to afford it. Even if you stayed at home during your studies, you will more than likely be yearning for the freedom of your own place now you’ve graduated.

Our guide gives you some useful information on finding a place to live after you’ve graduated with some top tips that could come in handy.

Think About Location

One of the main things you will need to consider when finding a place to live is where you are actually going to move to. Although you might move back home with your parents initially, it might not be practical to live in the same area as them. There are a few reasons for this but one of the main reasons you might not be able to live close to your parents is the cost of houses and rent. Another reason could be the fact that your parents live in a small town and there aren’t the same job opportunities available. You will have to consider these factors carefully and think about the area that you are going to look to find a place to live in.

Consider Sharing

When renting accommodation at university, it is likely that you were in halls or renting with a number of other students, which brings the cost down. This might also be a great option for when you first look for a place to live after you’ve graduated to help with the cost. Although the thought of having a place completely to yourself might be appealing, it might be too expensive at first. If you have any friends that are also trying to find a place to live, or you have a partner who is in the same situation, it would be a good idea to share a place with other people. There are also plenty of websites that can help you in finding a place to rent or advertise for a flatmate too.

Find a Job

Although this might be obvious, it is also important that you actually find a job before you even consider moving out. If you are looking to move to a new area then don’t jump the gun just because you’ve found the perfect property. It is important that you have a job so that you can afford the rent and are not saddling yourself with even more debt. Once you have found the right job, you will then need to work out how much you can afford to pay in rent each month. After all of this has been done, you should finally be ready to actually start looking for a place to live. However, some top tips when it comes to renting include;

  • Make sure you have contents cover to protect your belongings, as the landlord will only be responsible for building cover and insurance
  • Save money by switching energy supplier when you move in, there’s no need to continue with the same energy supplier as the previous tenants
  • Find free appliances and utilities online, rather than forking out for brand news ones you can find them for free on sites like Freecycle and Freegle.

 

With our useful guide, you should be well on your way to finding a place to live after you’ve graduated. There are all kinds of drawbacks when it comes to moving out and it will no doubt be a difficult process. You might need to move back home with your parents for a few months while you get things sorted. Wherever you decide to move, make sure you have planned everything first to make sure everything runs smoothly.